what is polydextrose

Polydextrose is a synthetic polymer of glucose, classified as soluble fiber by the US FDA and Health Canada. It is a complex carbohydrate made from glucose, made in a lab and is not digested by the body. Polydextrose is frequently used to increase the dietary fiber content of food, to replace sugar, starch, and fat in commercial beverages, cakes, candies, dessert mixes, breakfast cereals, gelatins, frozen desserts, puddings, and salad dressings. It is also used as a humectant, stabilizer, and thickening agent. Polydextrose is a form of soluble fiber and has shown healthful prebiotic benefits when tested in animals. It contains only 1 kcal per gram and, therefore, is able to help reduce calories. However, polydextrose is not universally well-tolerated. Doses as low as 10 g cause significantly more intestinal gas and flatulence than fermentation-resistant psyllium. Polydextrose is possibly safe when used as medicine in doses up to 50 grams daily for up to 12 weeks. But it is possibly unsafe to use in higher amounts. Taking more than 90 grams of polydextrose daily, or more than 50 grams at one time, might cause severe diarrhea in some people.